MP

The retiring Liberal MP is Malcolm Kerr, who has represented Cronulla since 1984.

Profile

A southern suburban beachside electorate, the electorate of Cronulla includes the suburbs of Cronulla, Caringbah, Lilli Pilli, Taren Point, Yowie Bay and parts of Sylvania Waters. It also includes Kurnell, where Captain Cook landed in 1770. Showing the great respect Australians have for their history, Kurnell is today festooned with unattractive oil refineries and petrochemical plants, with added aural ambience provided by the constant overflight of jets from Sydney Airport's two north-south runways. It is also the site of Sydney's new desalination plant.

Background

Created in 1959, Cronulla has been in Liberal hands for 46 of the 52 years since. It has had only three members in all those years, Liberal Ian Griffith 1959-78, Labor's Michael Egan 1978-84, and retiring Liberal MP Malcolm Kerr since 1984. Egan's victories corresponded to Labor's two 'Wranslide' victories in 1978 and 1981 when the Liberal Party was reduced to an irrelevant rump. Defeated in 1984, Egan entered the Legislative Council in 1986 and went on to serve as Treasurer in the Carr government from 1996 until his retirement in 2005.

Assessment

Liberal retain.

2011 BALLOT PAPER (5 Candidates)

Candidate Name

Party

SPEAKMAN Mark

Liberal

JONES Stefanie

Labor

PEACOCK Josh

The Greens

SMITH Beth

Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group)

POULOS Patricia

INDEPENDENT

CANDIDATES

Mark Speakman

Liberal Party

Speakman grew up in the local area before completing degrees in law and economics at Sydney and Cambridge Universities. He was admitted to the bar in 1991 and made a Senior Counsel in 2004. He was fancied to win selection for the local Federal seat of Cook when Bruce Baird retired at the 2007 election, but missed out in a major factional dispute. His name was subsequently mentioned in relation to other seats before Cronulla became vacant on Kerr's retirement. There were reports the Liberal right faction were attempting to block Speakman's selection because his legal background made him a possible alternative Attorney-General to current opposition legal spokesman Greg Smith.